UNC Basketball: Former ACC coach praises Cole Anthony’s game
By Zack Pearson
Class of 2019 UNC Basketball commit Cole Anthony received some praise from a former ACC Basketball head coach
The North Carolina Tar Heels grabbed the headlines on Tuesday morning with the commitment of five-star combo guard Cole Anthony as he announced his decision live on TV.
Anthony became arguably the biggest commitment for the Tar Heels in years, as the No. 3 overall player in the 2019 class. His commitment is important in the sense that UNC’s class was only two players deep and the roster is set to lose five of its top six scorers from a year ago.
While the Tar Heels don’t have the top class in the country, they still have a very good one that should put them among the favorites to win the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.
It’s really no secret that Anthony is not only the top guard in this class but also one of the best overall players and scorers. He will add another dynamic to UNC’s offense and should fit in well with what Roy Williams likes to do in his offense. We saw exactly just how good Coby White was under Williams and Anthony is considered an even better scorer going into college than White was last season.
Anthony’s commitment was not only big for the Tar Heels but it was a hot topic across the country with multiple analysts weighing in on his decisions. One former coach that knows the Tar Heels well even chimed in.
Former Louisville head coach Rick Pitino weighed in on Anthony’s decision and had a very interesting comparison for the recruit:
Cole Anthony is one of the best point guards I’ve watched in many a year. Congrats @UNC_Basketball. Reminds me of Jason Kidd with a great jump shot.
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) April 23, 2019
Pitino has bounced around the game of college basketball, serving stints in the NBA as a head coach of the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, as well as coaching both Kentucky and Louisville in the college ranks. His most recent coaching job was with Louisville, where he was head coach from 2001-2017 before an FBI probe caused the University to fire him.
The head coach knows the game of basketball so any compliment from a coach like Pitino is a good thing.
Next. Graduate transfer to visit UNC. dark
Now we just have to wait until the Fall to see Anthony on the court and what he can do for UNC.